Kangaroo Bonus Story
by Julimay
Summary: This is an additional story to my other story „Kangaoo" It's set about a year later.


_This little story is what I originally wrote as an epilogue for _Kangaroo. _It's set about a year after the story. I'm not that proud of it but some of you asked me to post it since I mentioned it in the epilogue. So here it is. I hope you like it. _

O-o-o-o-o

Alexis took of running. She was already late for picking Sophie up from school. The little girl was supposed to be picked up ten minutes ago. But in Alexis' defense she hadn't expected her father to call her at her own school to ask her to go pick up her sister. So it wasn't really her fault that she was running late.

Alexis had just sat in her afternoon French class when the principal of her school came in and told her that her father had called because of an emergency. Alexis had followed him quickly to his office where she'd spoken to her father on the phone for a few minutes.

He had explained that he had to take Kate to the hospital and wasn't therefore able to pick up Sophie and Martha was still away in Europe with a show.

So Alexis had rushed out of her school, took a cab to her sister's school and was now running the last few meters. All the while thinking about Kate and hoping that everything was okay. Her dad had said that she shouldn't worry but Alexis still did. She hoped it wouldn't be long until she and Sophie could go visit her.

When she came into the school she saw Sophie sitting on a bench with her teacher. Sophie was crying. She had never before been picked up late and it probably terrified her, even though her dad had called and explained the situation to her teacher and told Sophie that Alexis was on her way to pick her up.

„Hello Sophie" Alexis said gently. The little girl lit up and the tears stopped flowing as she saw her sister. She sprang from the bench and ran towards her.

„Alexis!" she called and hugged her tightly when she was picked up.

„I'm so sorry for the belatedness" Alexis said while she held Sophie. She looked at the teacher who had waited with the little girl. She'd been the last kid. All the others had already been picked up by their parents. And normally Castle would have been here already too. He was always punctual when it came to picking up Sophie.

„It's not a problem. Especially given the circumstances" the teacher replied with a smile. „Goodbye Sophie, see you tomorrow."

„Goodbye Miss Gilmore" Sophie said, now completely happy again. She waved at her teacher.

„Let's go home and have some ice cream, okay?" Alexis asked while she put her little sister down on the floor again. She was getting a little heavy for Alexis to carry her. Sophie slipped her hand in hers instead.

„Yeah, ice cream!" she cheered. And Alexis laughed as they left the school, making their way home.

O-o-o-o-o

Five hours later Alexis and Sophie joined their father and his fiancée at the hospital. Half an hour ago Rick had called to tell them that Kate was up for visitors now. Alexis had called for Sophie to turn of the TV and put on her shoes and jacket. Alexis had put her homework aside and had called for the car service.

And now here they were. Alexis knocked on the door while an overly excited Sophie was hanging on her other hand.

„Come in" Rick called and Alexis opened the door, letting Sophie rush in before her.

„Alexis, Sophie" Rick announced when they came into the room. „Please meet Lily Johanna Castle." He proudly held up his newborn daughter.

„Oh" Sophie squealed in excitement, coming closer to the baby and studying her intensely. „She is kind of red" she stated a little disappointed. She wasn't cute like her friend Jakob's baby sister.

„And tiny" Sophie continued. „Why is she so tiny, daddy? Jacob's baby isn't that tiny."

Castle chuckled a little and then bend down to be on Sophie's eye level.

„See Sophie, she was just born two hours ago. She won't be red anymore in a few days. And she'll grow in no time. Don't worry" he explained to her. Sophie had been excited to become a big sister when her dad had told her. Imagining she would get a funny giggling baby sister like her friend Jacob had.

„Okay" Sophie said, eying the baby skeptically though.

Rick kissed her forehead before he got up again. Coming eye to eye with his first daughter. She had an amused glint in her eyes.

„Really dad?" Alexis asked, teasingly. „Another girl? Thought you were trying for reinforcement here?" Kate and Rick had decided that they didn't want to know the gender beforehand. They'd wanted it to be a surprise. Alexis had thought it was a great idea, always loving a good surprise but Martha had said it was torture not knowing what she should buy for her latest grandchild.

„Yeah" Castle mock-pouted. „Isn't it great? Just one more person who's gonna gang up with you against me"

Kate in her hospital bed laughed. She was a little pale and looked kind of tired. But nonetheless she looked happier than Alexis had ever seen her.

„I think, you'll survive babe" Kate said.

„She's probably gonna be able to say ‚Mommy is right' before she's gonna say ‚daddy'" he continued pouting, but his eyes were full of love when he looked down at the newest addition to his family.

It had been a year since Sophie came into his life and Kate and he started a relationship. It came as a bit of a shock to the both of them when Kate after only four months of dating fell pregnant. But now they couldn't be happier.

„Oh, shush it Richard" Martha said through the laptop. Alexis had phoned her on skype so her grandmother could be a part of the family gathering.

„Yes daddy, shush it!" Sophie agreed, giggling.

„See what I mean, Lily?" Castle asked the baby. „It's already four against one. You should have been a boy, so you would be on my side. But you can be on my side anyway, baby. You'll choose daddy's side, won't you?"

Baby Lily chose that moment to start crying.

„Guess that's a ‚no' then" Castle grumbled. Before he walked over to Kate. He rocked Lily soothingly in his arms.

„Shh, Lily. Look, there is mommy. You are probably hungry, aren't you? Momma's gonna feed you" he cooed to the baby.

Then he handed Lily off to Kate.

„Can I watch?" Sophie asked eagerly, coming closer to Kate's bed. The disappointment she'd felt when she'd first seen the too tiny, too red baby vanished and the excitement about having a baby sister came back.

„Sure you can, Sweetie" Kate smiled at the little girl. „But give us a little space okay? So Lily can concentrate on drinking, yeah?"

Sophie nodded and took a step back, her eyes fixated on Lily though.

When there was a knock on the door Alexis went to open it. She let Jim in. And Castle smiled at the older man. He'd called him just after he'd called Alexis when the baby had arrived.

„Oh, there he is. My only ally" he said dramatically.

„Well Castle, if you are so desperate for a boy, try sending an Y-chromosome next time" Kate quipped.

Jim laughed at their antics. „So, I take it. It's a girl then?"

Kate smiled at her father before she looked back down at the sleeping baby in her arms. Jim went to stand right next to his daughter.

„Her name is Lily Johanna Castle" Kate told him, her loving gaze on the newborn.

„It's beautiful" Jim told her, leaning down to kiss the crown of her head. „She is beautiful."

„She really is" Kate agreed.

„She's red" Sophie stated and everyone laughed.

O-o-o-o-o

„Did you mean it?" Rick murmured the question into Kate's hair. Jim had left shortly after he'd come to visit them, having an important meeting with a client. Sophie and Alexis had left too an hour ago to have a sleep-over (Sophie still called it that whenever her sister was in charge of tucking her in).

The hospital bed was tiny but Kate had scooted down on the bed so Rick could climb in behind her. She was half sitting half laying between his legs, her head resting comfortably against his chest, while she was holding Lily.

„Did I mean what?" Kate asked back.

„About next time. Trying for a boy" Castle explained. „Do you want to have more children?"

„I never thought I would" Kate shrugged. Being an only child she'd always assumed if she ever were to have children she would have one. „but with you I think I might want to. If you want, that is"

„With you, always."

„Let's get this one to walk and talk though before we make another one. Maybe squeeze a wedding in there somewhere" Kate thought out loud.

„Absolutely. Especially since we are already engaged" Rick agreed.

„And then when the time comes we are going to make a boy" Kate announced. „Martha showed me baby photos of you a few weeks back and I totally want to have a mini you. Oh my god, you were sooo cute. These big blue shining eyes in the face of a toddler. I'm not gonna be able to say no to him. Ever."

„You say no to me all the time" Rick argued.

„Well, you are not a toddler anymore" Kate quipped.

„You do know though that I can't influence if we are going to have a boy or a girl, right? I don't want you to be angry at me for not being able to make boys" Rick told her and the tiny little bit of uncertainty in his voice broke Kate's heart.

„Oh, babe" she turned her head to kiss him. „Of course I won't be angry. I'm happy either way. Just like I know that you are not upset that Lily is a girl."

Rick kissed her back. „I love you" he whispered.

„I love you too, babe" Kate said back and kissed him once more.


End file.
